What Makes A Monster?
by xblueflowerx
Summary: When new girl Misty Waterflower arrives at his school, with both the emotional and physical scars of a car crash where she lost the most important person to her, Gary Oak soon learns that there's more to girls than meets the eye and beauty is definitely skin deep. Egoshipping
1. Prologue

_New egoshipping story :) I was going to wait until I wrote this but I got overexcited and before I knew it the first chapter had been written._

_Also, this will be my last update for a while as I'm going on holiday this week just thought I'd let people know_

_Hope you like it :)_

…

Misty was sat in her boyfriend's living room, his mum was out of town so naturally she was the first person he'd called. Granted his other friends where there now but they'd been a second thought to the boy, Misty always came first. The alcohol was flowing, as often did when he was home alone but right now that didn't matter, he was drunk on his girlfriend, better than any high that could be achieved from any other substance.

"You really are gorgeous." Ash mumbled, burying his face in his girlfriend's auburn hair. "Did you know that?"

"Considering you tell me every day I sort of figured as much. I'm beginning to think you only like me for my looks." Misty joked, she knew his love ran deeper than that and he liked to remind her of that whenever he had the chance.

"You're right, I like you for your looks." He said, pulling her onto his lap. "But I love you for everything else." He whispered before pressing his lips against hers.

Misty smiled into the kiss and soon felt herself melting on the inside, a moan escaping her throat as she felt his tongue exploring her mouth, it didn't matter how long they were together she still got the same tingles and butterfrees every time he touched her.

"I need to get out." May complained, her speech slurred from the amount she'd drunk.

"There's a party down the road, at Brock's." Drew said, dancing to the music he insisted was played, the rhythm flowing through him in what his drunk mind thought was graceful moves, but sadly he was wrong.

"Then let's go." May nodded enthusiastically, turning to the couple still wrapped up in each other on the sofa. "Excuse me!" She cried when she realised she was being ignored.

"One minute." Ash muttered, separating his lips from Misty's briefly but capturing them again as soon as the statement had left his mouth.

"Misty put that boy down right now!" May screeched, Drew instinctively pulled his hands up to his ears for protection and successfully threw his drink over his shoulder and onto the radio.

"Jesus May." Misty said, looking over her shoulder at her friend who had rudely interrupted her. "What the hell was that for?"

"We're going to Brock's party." She said, grabbing hold of Misty's hand and pulling her off the sofa, falling over in the process.

"And how do you propose we get there?" Misty asked, stumbling slightly as her head spun at the sudden movement.

"I think this radio is broken." Drew said, moving his hands from his ears and frantically pressing buttons.

"Simple, I'll drive." May smiled, grabbing onto the table and pulling herself up.

"Yeah, that's definitely broken." Drew continued, being ignored by everyone in the room.

"You're drunk." Misty sighed.

"I'm not drunk, you're drunk!" May accused, crossing her arms.

"Someone broke the radio." Drew said, taking a step back and holding his hands up in innocence.

"I'll drive." Ash said, standing up and shooting a glare at Drew, clearly not everyone was ignoring him.

"This is ridiculous, nobody is driving." Misty shouted.

Brock's parties were always fun, loud music, free drinks, access to a pool, but they'd all drunk too much. His parties were good but not worth putting their lives at risk for.

"I've only had three drinks, I'm practically sober." Ash reassured her, wrapping his arms around her and bringing his head to rest on her shoulders.

"I don't know." Misty bit her lip. "What if we get hurt?" She turned around in his arms and looked in Ash's eyes, she needed him to convince her they'd be fine, she needed him to reassure her.

"Have I ever hurt you before?" Ash asked.

"No." Misty shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

"So why would I start now?" Without waiting for an answer Ash brought his lips down to hers for a quick kiss.

"We're going?" May asked hopefully when they separated.

"Yeah, we're going." Misty nodded.

May let out a cheer before grabbing Drew's arm and pulling him out the house towards the car. Misty laughed slightly before heading in the same direction, picking up the keys Ash went to follow after them, tripping slightly as he went.

If Misty had seen him she would have changed her mind, if she'd have noticed how he held his arms out slightly to keep his balance she would have marched everyone back in the house. But she didn't see and blindly got into the car, thinking she was safe in her boyfriend's hands.

…

The car sped down one of the many deserted roads on the journey to Brock's house, darkened by overgrown trees blocking the occasional streetlamp. Ash's vision had seemed perfect back in his house but now on the dark street's he had to squint to make anything clear.

"I'm so excited." May cried, stroking Drew's hair as he sat in the seat in front of her.

Misty smiled to herself as she took a swig from the bottle of vodka they'd brought with them. May always managed to find little excuses to touch Drew, although she'd never admitted it Misty was sure she liked him, and not just in a friendly way.

"You act like we never let you out the house." Misty laughed, passing the bottle towards May.

"You don't." She pouted before bringing the bottle towards her lips and taking a swig too.

"Shit!" Ash's voice broke out, a hoothoot flying in front of the car.

In an attempt to avoid the bird Ash swerved the car to the other side of the road, causing Misty and May to scream as they were thrown about in the backseat. Taking deep breaths, Ash regained control of the car and moved back onto the right side of the road.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked, his heart beating double time.

"What the fuck just happened?" May asked, looking at her now wet shirt.

"It was a hoothoot, the little shit came out of nowhere and gave me a heart attack." Ash laughed slightly.

"Don't laugh." Misty shouted, smacking his head. "We almost died!"

She reached over and grabbed the bottle out of May's hand before taking a big gulp to calm her nerves.

"Hey ladies, share!" Drew complained from the front of the car.

May stole the bottle back and leant forward in her chair so she was closer to Drew.

"Open up." She whispered and the boy quickly obliged. Leaning her arms around the chair she brought the bottle to his lips, gently tipping it back so the liquid poured down his throat.

"Behave yourselves." Ash rolled his eyes at the couple, both blatantly liked each other but yet neither one made a move, it was beginning to frustrate him.

"Don't be such a grump." Misty smiled, leaning forward in her chair and peppering Ash's neck with kisses.

"Misty." He moaned as she began to suck on his neck, leaving a slight purple mark behind. "Drew?" He said when Misty moved away from his neck.

"Hm?" He asked, moving from the bottle without May noticing and it dribbled down his front slightly.

"Hey, now we match." May smirked, sitting back in her chair.

"Take the wheel." Ash said, glancing towards Drew.

"Are you serious? Why?" Drew asked, raising his eyebrow at the boy.

"Because I need to kiss the girl of my dreams." Ash smirked, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Drew sighed but leant over anyway to take hold of the wheel, Ash turned around in his seat and leant at an awkward angle so he was facing Misty.

"You're crazy!" Misty squealed, slightly enjoying his antics.

"I prefer romantic." Ash shrugged, putting his hand on the back of her head and pulling her forward to him, claiming her lips.

If Misty had been sober she'd never have let him get away with this behaviour, but her mind was clouded, making her judgement off. Instead she found him daring, the things he would do for a kiss made her feel special, being with him made her feel loved.

But then everything went wrong, everything in her life changed with one rash decision.

"Fuck!" Drew cried out, as the car skated over some black ice, the steering feeling light as he lost control of the car.

Ash pulled back and spun in his chair quickly to try to stop the inevitable but it was too late, the car fell from the road and flipped as went, throwing around the passengers inside. The only thing in their path to stop them was a tree, crashing into the front, crushing the bonnet beyond recognition and sending Ash flying into windshield.

That was the last thing Misty remembered seeing before she blacked out.

…

Misty woke when she felt an intense pain, she screamed out as fire lapped at her cheek, burning her skin.

She tried to move away but she was already pressed against the car door, there was nowhere to run. Her hands shook as she tried to undo her seatbelt, successfully releasing her and getting her away from the flames, the damage already being done to her face. She groaned as her body fell to the roof of the car, now the ground, she noticed May was no longer by her side, Drew no longer in the front seat, but Ash was still there. Eyes closed, blood pouring from the back of his head, cuts along his arm and a gash in his stomach where he'd placed his hand to relieve some pain.

The smell of leaking petrol and fire should have been raising alarm bells with her but she didn't care, she needed to make sure Ash was okay, she refused to leave without him. She crawled slightly towards him, as close as she could get without getting herself in more danger, the flames getting closer to her but this time she didn't flinch. She heard May's frantic screams from outside, telling Drew to get them out but it didn't matter right now, all that mattered was Ash.

"Ash?" She coughed out.

"Hey Mist." He smiled slightly, slowly opening his eyes. He looked tired, he looked weak but he still managed to smile for her.

"You're going to be okay, I promise." She said, biting her lip, her tears weren't going to help in this situation.

"I know, this is nothing." He winced slightly. "Just a few scrapes."

"I love you Ash."

"I love you too Misty, forever."

Slowly she reached her hand out towards him and taking his hand away from his stomach he too reached for her. She was shocked by the amount of blood that seeped through his shirt but she tried to hide it, she needed to pretend everything was fine, he needed her support.

Just as their fingers were about to touch Misty felt two arms tight around her waist, pulling her away.

"Ash!" She shouted as her bare skin scraped against the glass of the broken window, the feeling of fire around her soon being replaced by cold, wet grass.

"Misty! Thank god!" May exclaimed, grabbing hold of the girl as she was put down on the ground next to her.

"Drew! You have to get Ash too!" Misty shouted, too worried to even celebrate that she'd made it out alive, that beyond a few burns and cuts she'd been uninjured.

Drew nodded before turning towards the car again, determined that they'd all make it out of this alive but it was too late. The petrol mixed with the fire causing the car to burst in an explosion of fire and smoke. The three were frozen, watching the car containing their best friend go up in flames.

"No!" Misty pushed herself up and ran towards the car, she couldn't let Ash die like this.

"Misty!" Drew grabbed her around the waist again, stopping her from running into the car. "It's too late."

"No, it can't be." She struggled against him but his hold was too tight.

"Misty…" May reached out to comfort her friend but right now she didn't need it, all she needed was Ash.

"Ash!" She screamed, pushing against her restraints with all her strength.

"I'm sorry Misty." Drew muttered.

"No." Misty whispered, the tears she'd been holding in falling freely, streaming down her cheeks, the salt water stinging her open wounds, her breath escaping in sharp bursts. "He can't be gone."

She felt herself being maneuvered out of Drew's arm into May's, she felt May stroke her hair and whisper soothing words into her ears but it didn't matter, with him gone she was broken.

She didn't notice Drew go back to the wreckage to see if it was salvageable, she didn't notice him shake his head sadly at May, she didn't notice the paramedics turning up, she didn't notice the tests and questions, she didn't notice her sisters coming to get her and gushing over her, she didn't notice falling asleep that night. She didn't notice anything any more because without Ash she just felt like a ghost in her own life, an empty shell of who she used to be, a soul without a purpose.

Until she met him.

…

_Okay, I realise there is literally no egoshipping at all in that chapter but I thought I needed to set the scene before I went into it so I'm sorry if it was a disappointing first chapter :/_

_Please review :) thanks_


	2. Chapter 1

_Hope you all enjoy it :)_

...

Misty woke with a start from her dream, a cold sweat dripping down her back, breath coming out in short, sharp intervals. She raised her hand to her chest, her heart beating loudly, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

It was always the same dream, Ash would be there, she'd feel happy, she'd feel alive again. Then suddenly he'd be taken away from her and she'd have to stand and watch helplessly as he died, over and over.

Knowing it would be pointless to try and sleep again she pushed herself out of her bed and towards the shower, hoping to wash away the thoughts. But she never could. Every time she closed her eyes she'd see him, lying in the car reaching out for her, desperate for her help and she'd left him. She'd left him to die in that car.

She opened her eyes and let her tears flow, mixing in with the shower water making it unnoticeable. She tried to keep quiet, knowing her sisters would still be asleep this early but once a sob escaped her throat she couldn't control herself, she broke down.

Dropping to the floor she cried, her sobs vibrating through her body, the shower beating down on her back. She screamed, slapping her hands in the watery base of the shower, she threw the shampoo bottles against the wall, sending the liquid inside flying in all directions, she made fists with her hands so tight that her nails began to draw blood as the tears continued to flow.

Her eldest sister ran into the bathroom, not even flinching at the water tinted by blood as it ran down the drain. She was used to Misty behaving like this now, she'd become so in tune to her sister that she could sense when her pain was coming and distract her but not this time. She'd been sleeping in her bed while the guilt had hit Misty full force until she could barely control her actions anymore.

Grabbing a towel from the rack Daisy pulled the shower door open and wrapped it round her younger sister's frame, holding her as she wept, getting soaked to the bone.

Slowly Misty calmed down and allowed her sister to turn off the shower and lead her out, the towel was replaced for a fresh one and the pair made their way towards Misty's bedroom. Daisy forced her sister to lie down before wrapping her in her arms again, placing a kiss on her head and instructing her to sleep.

But Misty couldn't bring herself too, knowing what would be waiting for her if she did, something she didn't want to have to deal with. Instead she lay awake, listening to her sister's gentle breathing, waiting until her alarm went off.

…

Misty slowly pulled on her jeans as she listened to her three sisters in the kitchen, dreading the day ahead of her. She straightened out her black jumper before brushing her hair out, hoping to achieve a look that would allow her to blend into the background.

Her sisters thought they were helping her by moving to a new school, thinking she would forget about Ash and move on but she knew wherever she went he would always be all she could think about. Without him she was nothing, more than intent on spending the rest of her life mourning, wishing he was still with her.

One of the main things she dreaded was the stares, everyone at her old school knew what happened, they knew about Ash and they accepted her but here nobody knew who she was. Just the new girl who'd they'd all flock around like vultures trying to get a piece of her.

Deciding she was as good as she was going to get she walked from the room, pausing briefly at the empty wall where her mirror had once hung. It was the first thing to go when she'd come back from the hospital and had her first break down. She remembered smashing her fist into the mirror repeatedly until her hands where slick with blood and small shards embedded themselves in the cuts. She couldn't bear to look at herself, the scar was just a constant reminder of what had happened. How she stood there, still breathing, while Ash's lifeless body lay in the ground.

Forcing herself forward she dragged herself out of the bedroom and downstairs towards the kitchen, where her sisters animated voices filled the room.

Once she'd entered the room there was a lull in conversation but it didn't affect Misty, she'd grown used to causing absolute silence just by her presence. Grabbing her breakfast she ignored the other bodies in the room, feeling much more comfortable in her own world than others.

Soon the conversation started again, they talked at Misty about how much she'd enjoy this new school, fresh start for her, a chance for her to leave old ghosts behind but she was barely listening, the words just washed over in a jumble of sounds. Instead, she looked around the table in envy at her sisters, she was never as pretty as them by any means but she was close, she had the Waterflower hourglass figure, the sparkling viridian eyes, and the cheeky smile. But now she was just a monster, a freak who didn't belong in the same family as these beauties.

Staring down at her breakfast in disgust she pushed the bowl away from herself and rose to her feet.

"You okay?" Daisy asked, letting her toast hang a few inches from her lips.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Misty muttered. "I better be heading out." She abruptly turned from the table and left the room.

"Don't you want a lift?" Lily shouted after her sister, grabbing her car keys from the counter behind her.

"No, I want to walk." She called back, running from the house and out the door.

She kept running until she reached the end of the street, breathless she leant against the wall and let her tears flow. She hated being here, she hated the fact that Ash had left her, she hated that she couldn't walk down the street without being gawped at, she hated her sisters for forcing her to carry on when all she wanted to was give up but most of all she hated the fact she was still alive. She should have been the one to go, Ash didn't deserve what happened to him, he deserved a second chance.

She pushed the palms of her hands to her eyes, attempting to stop the tears from falling. She soon heard footsteps thundering towards her and felt three sets of arms wrap around her.

"I'm fine, honestly." She said, but they didn't release her.

The old Misty would have hated this, she wanted to appear strong at all times, crying was just a sign of weakness in her eyes. But the new Misty didn't care, without Ash she didn't see the point of the masquerade and allowed herself to be vulnerable.

When her tears finally subsided she was ushered into the car and driven to school, they'd suggested she take another day to herself but she knew they'd just fuss around her all day making her feel more pathetic. At school she could just keep to herself, strangers worried less about her feelings.

…

Misty walked down the school corridor towards her locker, she felt hopelessly lost as the other students milled around her, laughing and joking, but she refused to talk to anyone. She was alone and that was the way she preferred it.

She felt everyone's eyes on her, staring at the new body as it walked through their school. It was a small high school, only about 360 pupils so they'd all notice an unknown but the stares made her feel uncomfortable.

She'd ignored her sister's advice, stand tall, hold your head up high with pride, it will help you ooze confidence. Instead she kept her head down, body curled in on itself, peeping at prying eyes through a curtain of her hair.

At her old school she'd been used to stares, she'd got quite a few over the years, long before the accident but at the time she'd enjoyed them. The jealous stares as her and Ash made their way through the corridor, the golden couple of the school, how she longed for those days.

…

_Misty walked towards her locker, smile plastered on her face, May on one side, chattering away happily, Ash on the other, arm loosely wrapped around her shoulders. She laughed at whatever anecdote May was offering her, trying to repress the shivers down her spine from where Ash gently brushed the hair from her shoulder._

"_Drew!" May called out, catching his attention. Misty grinned as she watched her best friend run off, shamelessly flirting with the green haired boy._

_Once she'd gone Ash took his opportunity and pounced on her neck, placing little kisses on her pale skin._

"_Ash?" She questioned, eyes roaming the corridor._

"_Yeah?" He whispered, gently nibbling on her ear._

"_Everyone is watching us." She said, gently pressing her hand against his chest and pushing him off._

"_So? They always do." He shrugged, Misty nodding slightly._

_Ash and Misty had been partners in crime for as long as people could remember, back when they were ten they met for the first time and the pair was inseparable. The best of friends that claimed nothing could come between them until they reached thirteen. Then new feelings and emotions started to develop creating an awkward aura that surrounded them, everyone in the school knew what was happening and soon watching the pair's relationship evolution became their entertainment. Then at fourteen they'd cracked told each other how they felt and the rest was history they became the 'it' couple, despite being two years into their relationship the stares never ceased._

_They'd come a long way from those two ten year olds who used to wind each other up at every chance they got but they wouldn't have changed anything, their relationship was perfect._

"_It seems more than usual." Misty said as Ash went back in for another kiss, pressing her flat against the cold metal lockers._

_Ash made no attempts at hiding his affections towards Misty, never phased by the audience, but today she definitely felt more eyes on her than usual. She tried to push him off again but he was determined and her attempts were futile._

"_It's your fault they're watching." He whispered, pulling back to rest his forehead against hers._

"_What have I done?" She asked, raising her eyebrow._

"_It's the hickey on your neck." He explained, bringing his hand up and gesturing to her neck._

"_What?" Misty screeched, causing Ash to wince and take a step back._

_Frantically, Misty began searching through her bag until she came across her compact mirror, quickly opening it and aiming it towards her neck. Sure enough, glaring back at her, was a large hickey, one she hadn't even noticed this morning or she'd have worn a scarf._

"_When the hell did you do that?" She questioned, trying to cover it with concealer but the purple shone through._

"_I don't know, sometime last night." He said, losing interest with her dramatics._

"_Jesus Christ Ash!" She shouted, slamming her mirror shut and throwing it in her bag. "I could literally kill you right now!"_

_She glared at Ash, a pout on her lips, but despite her anger he just thought she looked adorable and soon smiled at her, which only upset her more. With a groan she pushed past him and huffed down the corridor._

"_Misty! Come on! I'm sorry!" He shouted after her, laughing when her only response was to flip him the finger as she walked away. "Love you!"_

"_Yeah, yeah. Love you too." She called back with a dismissive wave of her hand before tracking May down, hoping she had some stronger concealer with her._

…

Gary leant against his locker, half listening to the bluenette chatting away in front of him, trying his hardest to look interested. If Dawn wasn't so attractive he wouldn't put up with this but she was the best this little school had to offer so he wasn't about to throw her away.

Words of makeup and jewellery floated up to his ears when he noticed her, the new girl. He'd heard gossip among his fellow students that there was fresh face gracing their halls but he'd yet to see her until now.

Gary tried to contain the smirk that was growing on his lips when he saw her walk past but was failing miserably. He loved new girls, it just gave him a new challenge, a new conquest, provided they had the right physique and this girl did. She was downright hot, granted she was trying to hide herself behind baggy clothes but he could see the curves concealed underneath.

She continued walking down the corridor, not once glancing in his direction, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. He watched her go until she was almost out of sight when he sprang into action.

"That's great Dawn but I have to go do something real quick." He placed a kiss on the girl's cheek before powering off down the corridor, keeping the new girl in his sights as he weaved between students. Dawn sighed as she watched him leave but soon turned to her friends and forgot about the rude ditching that had just occurred.

He watched her as she walked, taking in every little detail of her, the way her hips swayed subtly as she walked, the way her nervous hands ran through her hair. He could already imagine her, copper hair sticking to her forehead, curling her back in ecstasy as he pinned her against his bed.

He noticed her cross her arms self-consciously over her chest as more people watched her, he thought if it was possible she'd fold in on herself to avoid prying eyes. Again his mind began to wander, she wasn't hidden behind her baggy clothes, instead she was the confident, sexy girl Gary could see inside. She'd boldly stride across his room, wearing nothing but her underwear before crawling onto his bed and hovering above him. One of his hands roaming over her exposed skin, his other reaching up to firmly squeeze her voluptuous breast, still encased in a lacy bra.

"Hey Gar." A perky blonde said, side stepping to block his path.

"Yeah, hi." He said, constantly watching the red head over her head.

She'd moved closer to the lockers with her fingers trailing along the cold metal as she read the numbers. He smirked as he pictured those delicate fingers travelling down his bare chest, slipping under his boxers and working their magic.

However, there was only one problem with all his fantasies, the girl was faceless, she was concealing herself behind a shield of hair, shyly keeping to herself, but that was all about to change.

Without offering the blonde a goodbye he walked passed her and towards his mysterious girl, currently stopped in front of a locker and copying a combination from a slip of paper in her hand.

Now she was finally still Gary decided it was time to make his move.

…

Misty sighed in relief as she'd reached her locker without anyone attempting to talk to her, she hoped this was a sign of things to come and she could just spend the next few years invisible.

"Hi." A deep voice said, the person so close she could feel their breath against her neck.

Gary grinned as the girl deliberately ignored him, continuing to open her locker and place a tatty notebook inside. Playing hard to get only made him more determined, it was more fun when he had to work for his prize.

"Come on Red, you really going to ignore me?" He asked.

Never tearing her eyes away from her locker she nodded, praying he'd get the hint and leave her alone.

"Ouch." He chuckled. "Here I am, just trying to be friendly, and you won't even give me the time of day."

"You're not my type." She said, her gentle voice being used for the first time since her arrival.

He was unsure as to whether she was referring to not her type of friend or something more but either way it didn't dampen his attempts. Girls could say they didn't want him but he knew deep down they did, they just weren't willing to admit it yet.

"Well, can I at least walk you to your next lesson?" Again all he received in reply was a shake of the head. "It's a big school, we wouldn't want a little darling like yourself getting lost."

"I'll manage." She said, slamming her locker shut and turning to leave, her hair whipping his face as she did assaulting his nose with coconut and chlorine, an interesting combination.

"Red! Wait up!" He called after her, only increasing her pace.

"Leave me alone." She growled, this boy was getting on her last nerve.

"Give me one good reason why I should?" Gary asked, trying to keep up with her but failing.

Misty held up her hand and offered him her middle finger as his one reason, causing Gary to laugh out loud. This girl had a temper, but feisty was just how he liked his girls.

Finally catching her up he placed his arm on her shoulder, as soon as he made contact she roughly pulled away, he had no right to touch her, nobody did.

"Look, you obviously have some problem with me and I apologise." Gary said, Misty stopped in her tracks and heaved a great sigh.

"What do you want from me?" She whispered, her voice almost lost in the crowd around them.

"To start again." He explained, moving around her so he could finally see her face. "Hi, I'm…" But the end of his sentence died on his tongue.

When he saw her he finally understood why she kept hidden, across one of her cheeks was red, puckered skin, trailing from the corner of her eye down to her lip, a large scar on her left cheek drawing his eyes in.

Her hand was itching to cover her face but instead she kept it by her side, a permanent glare on her face, but she knew it was wavering, the hurt evident in her eyes.

Gary knew he was staring, he could feel his mouth hanging open slightly from his unfinished words but he couldn't bring himself to stop. His eyes flickered to her eyes slightly to see the moisture that was gathering in them. Ordinarily, that would have been the first thing he noticed about her, her bright eyes, sparkling slightly in pain, they were a breath-taking shade of viridian but he'd missed them in his shock.

He wanted to say something charming, brush off the whole incident but for the first time in his life words failed him and he was left utterly speechless.

She was beautiful, there was no denying it, but he noted how the scar had ruined her, taking a perfect face and disfiguring it horrendously.

But when he looked into her eyes he realised, it hadn't just ruined her physical appearance, it ran much deeper than that. It ruined her emotionally, although her eyes were bright there was no life in them, whatever caused that scar had broken her beyond repair.

"Had a good look?" Her harsh words pulled him out of his trance, he made attempts at sentences but nothing came.

She brushed past him, slamming into his arm causing him to swing back as he watched her retreating form walking down the corridor, head back down, getting lost in the crowd.

…

_Please review :) thanks _


	3. Chapter 2

_Hope you all enjoy it :)_

…

Don't cry, don't cry, do not cry.

Misty repeated this over and over in her mind, she could feel the tears prickling the back of her eyes but she refused to let them fall, she refused to be weak, she refused to give that idiot the satisfaction of her tears.

"Red!" She heard his obnoxious voice calling after her.

She audibly groaned, glancing around her in hopes of finding a bathroom she could slip in, surely he wouldn't wait around outside just to spite her. As she looked around helplessly she cursed herself for refusing the map offered when she signed in.

Barely paying attention to her journey she felt herself being shoved by another student, rushing in the other direction, the jolt so powerful she was thrown into the lockers behind her.

She cast a dirty look at the student and noticed the boy from earlier, he was close now, if he just reached forward he could grab her arm, effectively stopping her from escaping. She pushed herself off the lockers hoping to get away but fate was against her, his warm hands had clamped down around her wrist.

"Get off me!" She shouted, feeling herself being pulled around to face him again.

"Just stop for one second." He said, attempting to calm her down but it was useless, Misty did what came naturally to her, she went on the defence.

"Why? Didn't get a good enough look last time? Well let me help you there." She yelled looking him dead in the eye, moving her hair out her face. "That good enough for you? Now get the fuck out of my way."

She pushed past him again, roughly pushing him against the lockers for the second time since they'd met but he was still not giving up. Although he'd lost interest in bedding her now he still didn't want to be hated, even girls who had no chance with him lusted after him. It was almost an unwritten rule within the school and it made him uncomfortable to think a member of the opposite sex didn't want him.

"Jesus Christ." He groaned, chasing her down the corridor again, why did this girl just have to be so difficult?

He followed after her, noticing her bout of confidence had now left her and she was walking head down again to avoid people's stare, and he had to give the girl credit she did a good job at blending in if it weren't for that hair. Her stunning auburn locks stood out against the dull metal of the lockers, even in the dingy school corridors it managed to shine bright like fire.

Shaking his head slightly Gary pushed his feet, if he wasn't so focused on his target he would have appreciated the irony of the situation, he was chasing after a girl who wasn't attracted to him rather than the other way around.

Finally reaching her he placed an arm in front of her, blocking her path. With a growl she turned to walk in to the other direction but was soon stopped by the placement of his other hand.

Her eyes darted around frantically, trying to find a way out but she seemed to be successfully trapped, many nameless people walked past but didn't bat an eyelid or offer to help her, obviously seeing the boy pin a girl against a locker was a regular occurrence here.

"What the fuck is your problem?" She screeched, pressing her hands on his chest in an attempt to push him away but he remained on the spot.

"I don't have problem, you're the one who keeps yelling at me!" He shouted back, growing annoyed with the feisty girl.

"Because I want you to leave me alone, but for whatever messed up reason you won't seem to do that." She growled, eyes narrowing at him.

"I need to say something to you." He said, flashing her his best smile knowing it did the trick with most girls, but Misty wasn't most girls. Once her walls were up it was near impossible to get them back down again.

"Come on, say it! I've heard it all before. Monster, freak, repulsive. So whatever it is you're about to throw at me I can handle it." She cried, the tears pouring freely down her face.

Gary found himself frozen in shock, how could someone say that to this girl? This poor, innocent girl who'd clearly been to hell and back. She didn't deserve what people put her through, she didn't deserve to be stared at, she didn't deserve to be hurt.

He wanted to get his thoughts into words but again found himself stunned to silence, the pain in her eyes cutting through him like a knife.

"Oh big man aren't you?" She asked, breaking him out his thoughts. "Come over here to make a joke and then can't even say anything. You're pathetic."

Seizing her opportunity she ducked under his arms and ran, relief flowing through her veins when she noticed the girl's toilets. She threw the door open before bursting inside, her sobs coming out in large, pained breaths.

A scream escaped her throat as she kicked at the doors, punched the wall, barely even flinching when her knuckles came into contact with the bric. In her ache she kicked at the sinks, achieving very little beyond pain to herself but the relief soothed her, spinning she threw a bin across the small space, tissues and various feminine products fluttering around her.

Suddenly, something caused her to stop in her tracks, freeze her tears as they poured down her face. Her own reflection stared back at her, for the first time in over two months, her eyes raw from the tears, her lips swollen from where she'd bitten them in an attempt to control her feelings, her hair looking wild and unkempt from where she gripped at it in agony.

Her fingers flew up to her cheek, gently trailing along the scar, feeling the smooth, new skin underneath. Her sisters had assured her it was getting better and yet it was all she could see when she looked at herself, all that anyone could see when they looked at her.

"I hate you." She whispered, her pain soon replaced with anger. "I fucking hate you!"

Reaching into her bag she grabbed a marker, bringing it up to the mirror, covering the shiny surface with a thick coat of black.

"You don't deserve to be here when he isn't." She told the black void of her reflection, dropping the pen to the floor, quickly following after it, curling her knees up to her chest she cried, wishing she wasn't so alone.

…

Gary leant against the wall, head flat against the smooth surface, eyes staring up at the ceiling. He'd followed the mysterious red head again once he'd come to his senses but she'd managed to slip into the bathroom this time. His intention was to wait the five minutes girls spent in the bathroom and apologise, don't give her a chance to speak and just get out his words before she unleashed that beast of a temper she had.

But instead he stood there, listening to the destruction and tears coming from inside the bathroom, guilt eating away at every part of him.

"You utter dick." He muttered to himself, listening to the girl screaming on the other side of the wall.

Her first day here and he's already made her cry, she was probably looking for a fresh start, to forget her past but he'd stopped her, slapped her in the face with his stare and brought the pain bubbling to the surface.

He couldn't bear to listen to her, wanting nothing more than to take everything back and start again, react better, barely show a flicker of emotion towards her scar. He was the first to admit he played girls but he never wanted to be the reason for their tears, never wanted to hurt them so badly they hated him. Girls could bounce back from being dumped quickly, that's what their friends were for, but what he'd done to this girl was potentially beyond repair and worst of all she was alone. Nobody there to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart.

He craned his neck to hear her but the bathroom seemed eerily silent after everything that happened. Pushing himself off the wall he slowly entered, gently closing the door behind him so he wouldn't alarm the girl.

He looked around at the damage, it was almost as if a storm had occurred within these four walls, but what caught him the most was the mirror. He sighed as his finger trailed the pen, leaving a smear down the middle and a dirty residue to gather on his tip. He turned and saw one of the doors was locked, he walked over to it and gently knocked.

"Red?" He asked quietly.

"Perfect." He heard her mutter, a hollow laugh echoing through the deserted bathroom. "Look, what is your obsession with me?"

"I just want to talk to you." He explained, looking down at the lock. He knew he could pick it and let himself in but decided that probably wouldn't be the best way to deal with this situation.

"Well I don't want to talk to you." She said, he could hear the tears in her voice.

"Please?" He begged, something he'd never done for a girl before.

"No." She said sternly.

"Red, can I…"

"Just leave me alone." She whispered.

With a sigh Gary left the bathroom, conscious of the whispers that started when he remerged in the corridor. It wasn't a rarity to see him swaggering out the toilets, a smug smile on his face, but today there was no smile, no bounce in his step, no reason for him to feel proud. As he walked the sound of the bell filled the halls but the girl never emerged, she remained locked in her cubicle, her emotions breaking her down.

…

_Misty burst into school in anger, a scowl on her face as she powered down the corridor. She'd had another argument with her sisters before she'd left this morning which had put her in a foul mood that was bound to last the whole day._

_She hoped to reach her locker then her first lesson without any interactions, walking with speed towards her destination she soon noticed an arm appear in front of her. She rolled her eyes as she felt another arm against her back, she turned to see her boyfriend's face leaning down in front of her, a wide grin on his face._

"_What?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow._

"_Well aren't you just a little ray of sunshine this morning?" He laughed, pressing a light kiss on her lips._

"_Don't start, I've had a shit morning so I could do with being left alone." She explained, ducking beneath his arms and heading towards her locker._

_As she opened her locker she felt two arms wrapping around her waist, a chin resting on her shoulder but she refused to acknowledge the other person instead carried on taking books from her locker._

"_Tell me what happened." Ash said, kissing the side of her neck._

"_Oh the usual, sisters being a pain." She growled, slamming her locker shut._

"_And what did they say my little Misty?" Despite her anger she felt herself laughing lightly._

"_Just that I'd look better if I like totally wore more dresses." She mimicked their voices._

"_Well that's a blatant lie." He stated. "You look perfect just the way you are."_

"_You have to say that." She shook her head._

"_I'm serious." He said, spinning her around in his eyes so she was facing him. "You're absolutely beautiful."_

"_What do you want?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend. He was only this complimentary if he wanted something in return._

"_Nothing. Can't I tell my girlfriend she looks amazing without my motives being questioned?" She shook her head slightly at his question. "Exactly, so as I was saying you look gorgeous today."_

"_Are you joking? I look a state." She laughed, the argument with her sisters had really eaten into her morning leaving her with very little time to get ready._

"_You look gorgeous no matter what." Ash said, smiling down at her._

"_If you say so." She rolled her eyes at him._

"_You do." He kissed her quickly on her nose. "You look gorgeous when you're all dressed up to go on a date." He kissed her cheek. "You look gorgeous when you've just woken up and your hair looks like a lion's mane." He kissed her other cheek. "You look gorgeous when you're scowling at whoevers arguing against you." He kissed her forehead. "You look gorgeous when you're dreaming and your eyebrows furrow." He kissed her lips. "And you look gorgeous in the bedroom." He smirked when Misty slapped him playfully on his chest._

"_You just had to ruin it didn't you?" She smiled at him._

"_I can't help it you look your best when you're completely natural." He said, taking a step back from her as the bell rung._

"_Alright charmer, you going to walk me to class?" She asked, holding her hand out for him._

"_Of course." He smiled, tightly grabbing her hand._

_As they walked he spun his arm so it was around her back, still keeping her hand encased inside which she'd been forced to fold across her stomach, Misty laughed as Ash squeezed her closer to him, her body pressed against his chest, her heart full with love just from his touch._

…

Misty sat on the toilet cistern, feet resting on the now closed lid, tissue scrunched in her hand. Her tears had finally subsided but she'd still yet to bring herself to leave, knowing if she just saw one shocked face look at her she'd breakdown again. She'd listened to the bell rings throughout the day, indicating the various periods and breaks she'd missed but she felt safer alone with her thoughts than be forced to the front to tell the class three interesting facts about herself.

What a perfect first day, she thought bitterly, spending her whole time hiding in the toilets, all because some arrogant asshole had made her feel bad about herself. The bell rung again, glancing down at her phone for the time she guessed it was the lunch bell, she sighed when she realised she would no longer be alone, gossipy girls would pile in for their daily routine.

She sent her sister a quick text, making it to lunchtime on her first day was what she considered an achievement but she couldn't face any more, she had to leave.

She jumped off the toilet and got ready to leave but froze when she heard the door open, a group of girls indicating their arrival with an audible gasp.

"What happened in here?" A high pitched voice questioned.

"God knows." A voice replied. "I saw your boy leaving here earlier."

"As if he'd trash the place." The first girl said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Panic flowed through Misty, if these girls were here then the corridors would be full once again, she'd struggle to get out without being noticed, sneaking away was no longer an option. She reached forward and slowly unlocked her door, knowing the bathroom was too small for her to slip out undetected. All eyes turned to look at her as she walked towards the sink and washed her hands, pretending she hadn't spent the past four hours locked inside.

"Hey, you must be the new girl." The first girl said, coming to stand next to Misty.

"Yeah, hi." Misty muttered, drying her hands and turning to leave.

"I'm Dawn." She said, holding her hand out with a fake smile gracing her face.

"Misty." She took hold of her hand and gave it a quick shake.

"Well come on girl, look up. Let me take a look at you." Dawn laughed, she knew all new girls were a potential threat to her so she had to give this girl a once over.

Misty glanced up at the girl, taking in her perfectly styled blue hair, her striking sapphire eyes, her stunning smile and flawless skin. Her body language oozed confidence, she was beautiful and she knew it. As she looked at her through her unruly, flaming hair, she felt pangs of envy, wishing she had this girl's unspoiled life.

Slowly she brought her face up, letting her hair slip away and reveal herself, the other girl's smile only faltering for a second before it came back widely, unnaturally so. The girls behind Dawn weren't quite so subtle, their eyes trailing over her face, expression's creased in sympathy.

"Oh sweetie." Dawn breathed. "Do you want some make up to cover the… puffy eyes?" She finished, both girls fully aware of what she really needed to mask.

"Thanks but no, I'm heading home now anyway." She shrugged, dropping her gaze down to the floor, her hair shield offering her protection once again.

"Okay, suit yourself." She said as Misty spun on her heel and began to leave. "It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too." She called back before slipping through the doors.

"Poor girl." Dawn sighed once they were alone, smug smile still on her lips.

Crisis had been averted, Gary wouldn't be remotely interested in this girl which set Dawn's mind at ease. He belonged to her and this deformed new girl was definitely not going to take him away.

…

Gary stood waiting at Dawn's locker as he'd promised, knowing he would be here for a while considering how long she and her friends could spend in the bathroom. Looking over to the door he saw a flash of red hair departing, he watched her in confusion. Surely, she hadn't been in there since he'd left her, he couldn't have upset her that much.

But the look she gave him when she noticed him, the look of pure hatred the seeped from her swollen eyes provided him with his answer.

Quickly, she stormed down the corridor towards the doors, bursting out, the sunlight shining through as her silhouette left the building. He glanced towards the bathroom again, deciding he had a good ten minutes before Dawn would emerge, before he too burst from the building.

He saw her figure striding across the car park, too far for him to catch her up before she disappeared.

"Red!" He shouted out.

"Fuck off!" She retaliated, picking up her pace towards her sisters car

"I'm sorry!" He shouted, running over to her when he realised his statement had caused her to freeze up. "I swear I didn't mean to stare I was just shocked!" He continued to yell at her until he reached her side.

"Fuck off." She hissed, very aware of the crowd now watching the two of them, her sister included who had now exited her car and was closely watching the pair.

"Can we just forget today happened?" He asked, smiling at her.

"That works perfectly for me. Believe me, all I've wanted to do since I met you was forget you even existed!" She shouted.

A murmur began rippling through the crowd, Gary Oak was renowned for getting any girl he wanted with minimal effort, they had slight admiration for the new girl who seemed immune to his charm.

"That's not what…" He started but Misty was done, she wanted to forget about her failure of a first day, curl up with an old movie and chocolate while she pretended she was still the girl she once was.

"Just stop okay? I don't know what you're trying to pull but I've had enough of it!" She shouted, her sister watching her cautiously from across the tarmac.

"I just want…" But once again his charm was failing him and he was cut off by the angry girl before him.

"Don't you ever try to speak to me again, or so help me God I will hit you!" She threatened, her finger poking his chest and her eyes dangerously narrow.

"Please, can you…" His sentence was thrown from his mouth as he felt her hand, hard against his cheek, a gasp emitting from the crowd.

"I'm serious." She whispered, leaning towards him. "Leave me the fuck alone."

She turned and left Gary, stood alone in the car park, hand clutching his throbbing cheek.

"What the hell are you staring at?" He shouted at his audience, effectively dispersing them as he trailed back to the school, tail between his legs.

"Misty, who was that?" Lily asked as Misty walked around the car to the passenger's side.

"Nobody important." She shrugged as she opened her door. "Can we just go?"

"Sure." Her sister nodded, getting into the car.

She looked over to her younger sister, her lips pursed in frustration, eyes glaring at the road in front of her, arms crossed over her chest.

"Did he say something to hurt you?" She asked, attentively.

"No." Misty grumbled, but his actions hurt her more than his words ever could.

"What happened then?" She questioned.

"I don't want to talk about it." She snapped. "I just want to go home." Lily could hear the strain in her voice, how close to tears she was.

"Okay, sure thing." She said, starting the car and pulling out the car park. "Have you had any lunch?"

"No, why?" Misty asked, confused by the sudden change in subject.

"How about we go for some lunch? Big, greasy burgers ought to do the trick." She reached over and gently squeezed her younger sister's knee before bringing it back to the steering wheel.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect." She smiled slightly, glancing back towards the school just in time to see Gary walking back through the doors.

She hated to admit it but he made her feel alive again, he brought out feelings inside her she hadn't felt in ages she was sure they'd died with Ash. She'd been on auto-pilot for so long now she'd forgotten how to feel anything beyond pain but the anger she felt for this boy was like something turning on inside her again. Out of the deepest, darkest depths her emotions were slowly crawling to the first signs of light they could find, filling her with liberation as they did. She was tired of feeling broken inside.

…

_Please review :) thanks_


	4. Chapter 3

_Sorry for the wait, I was on holiday and then when I came back I was just lazy. Again, sorry_

_Hope you all enjoy it :)_

…

Gary scrunched his eyes shut, hoping to rid his mind of the broken red head that seemed to haunt him, taking him away from what should have been an enjoyable moment.

Dawn's foot was delicately placed on the desk in her room, her back pressed flat against the wall as Gary quickly thrust into her. Her voice came out breathlessly, words of encouragement floating into his ears but today it wasn't working.

His eyes focused on the wall that he was facing, refusing to look at the girl in front of him for the fear he'd see viridian eyes staring up at him again.

He followed the pattern of her wallpaper, noticing the line through the dark pink print where the rolls met, the pattern not matching up perfectly.

His eyes trailed up, aiming for the ceiling so the annoyance from the imperfection would no longer bother him, but as he travelled he noticed a small tear in the paper. A tiny spec in an other wise flawless room. He'd never noticed it before but now it was all he could look at.

He heard cries from Dawn as the pleasure took over her body but his gaze remained on the defect, barely visible but once his eyes found it there was nothing else that mattered. It drove him insane, he wanted to rip the paper from the wall and start again.

He groaned in frustration, when did he care about something so insignificant?

It was the same reason he'd made the girl cry today, he focused far too much on the physical beauty in the world, never stopping to think about anything else.

She was much like the wall, Gary shaking his head slightly at the comparison, glad that Dawn eye's had fluttered closed or she'd surely question his behaviour. From a far it looked perfect, almost mesmerising, but on closer inspection there it was, the tear that lead to something hidden underneath.

In the case of the wall it was the bare brick underneath, but with her it showed her past, a secret moment in time where she'd once been happy, where she'd once been alive, that moment harshly stolen from her, the reminder to live forever on her face.

A loud scream of his name brought him back to the moment, realising Dawn had met her climax while he'd yet to feel a slight blimp of pleasure. He groaned and faked his release, drawing back from Dawn and letting himself fall onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

He made a vow to set things right with the girl, apologise for staring at her as if she was nothing more than a mere imperfection.

"Get dressed." Dawn said, dropping his clothes onto him. "My mum will be home soon."

"Sure." He muttered, throwing his clothes on.

There was one issue with his new vow, if he even went near the girl she'd scream and shout and no doubt end up hitting him. He'd have to take it slow, let her warm up to him before he approached her again.

Once dressed he shot a glance towards the clock on Dawn's wall, eyes widening when he took in the time.

"I need to go." He said, grabbing his bag off the floor.

"Why?" Dawn questioned, spinning to face him.

"I just do."

"You never stay. You've never even met my mum." She whined, but Gary's mind wouldn't be changed.

"Another time, maybe, I really have to go." Without waiting for a response he rushed from the room and out the house.

Dawn rushed over to her window to see him powering down the street, previous plans always conflicting with her. She groaned and stepped away from the window, they'd never agreed to be exclusive but she didn't appreciate being left on a regular basis. It was always the same time, every day, he wouldn't even offer an excuse he'd just leave and she wouldn't hear from him again until late into the evening. Whoever this other girl was clearly was special to him and that only angered Dawn more.

…

"I'm home!" Gary shouted, letting himself into his house. It was a second nature to him now, a routine that he never expected to be acknowledged.

"In the kitchen." A voice called back, causing Gary's eyes to widen.

Abruptly dropping his bag on the floor Gary ran into the kitchen, scanning the room for any signs of trouble but was only greeted by the sight of his Grandfather cooking.

"Hello Gary." Samuel shouted cheerfully, shooting a smile over to his grandson stood on the doorway.

"Hey Gramps." He muttered, slowly entering the room, eyes constantly wandering for something out of the ordinary.

"I thought I'd make us some dinner." He explained, turning fully to face the boy.

"Okay then." He said, eyes fixed on his Grandfather's face.

"What is it? Do I have some sauce on me?" He asked rubbing his face slightly. "I just couldn't resist having a taste." He chuckled, turning back towards the food.

"No." He shook his head, eyeing the older man sceptically. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just been so long since you'd left your study I was just worried that… You know, what forget about it." Gary said, smiling at his grandfather.

"Okay, so will you be here for dinner?" He asked, stirring the contents of a pan.

"Aren't I always?" He questioned back.

"Yes, but you could always go see that girl. What's her name again? Dani?"

"It's Dawn." He corrected. "But I don't mind staying here."

"I don't need you looking after me Gary." Samuel said, all the false cheer from earlier had left his voice. "I'm not a child."

"I know but I don't like to think you spending the night alone." He shrugged casually, walking to the boiling over pasta and taking it off the heat.

"Don't like to think what I'll do left alone more like." His grandfather muttered as he watched him drain the water away.

"Gramps." He sighed. "I just worry about you, okay? It's not healthy to…"

"I'm fine!" Samuel shouted, the unexpected outburst causing Gary to drop the pasta, the contents spilling into the sink.

A thick silence hung in the air as Gary carefully gathered the pasta back into the pan, Samuel's breathing heavy and fists scrunched at his side. His grandson avoided catching his eye, worried that this outburst was the first of many to come.

"I'm sorry Gary." Samuel sighed, walking over and placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It's okay Gramps, I understand." He said, forcing a smile. "How about we watch one of your films that you like? We haven't seen The Great Escape in a while."

He changed the subject quickly, hoping to keep his Grandfather calm, his treatment similar of a parent to a child didn't go unnoticed but neither commented on it, it was just part of their routine.

"Sounds great." Samuel nodded.

"I'll go see if I can find it, you really need to organise your stuff better." Gary joked, heading out the room.

"Gary?" A voice called after him, causing him to freeze in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Samuel mumbled quietly before turning back to finish the dinner he'd started.

"Don't worry about it Gramps." He smiled.

He headed towards his Grandfather's film collection, very aware of the clatter in the kitchen. He couldn't stop the smile on his face, glad that there was some noise in the house once again, rather than having to force food into him, coming into his office to see paperwork everywhere, his eyes red and watery from lack of sleep and too much thinking. His smile quickly dropped, wondering how long this would last before he lost his Grandfather again and that empty, hurt shell was all that remained.

Gary's phone beeped as he searched, Dawn's name flashing up on the screen, but he ignored her, she wasn't his top priority. His Grandfather needed him more right now, he needed his company more than anyone.

…

Misty lay on her bed, staring down at her phone, a number of unanswered texts from May on her phone. Knowing she wouldn't be able to satisfy her with just one message she called her instead.

"Hey gorgeous." May's cheerful voice came down the phone.

"Hey beautiful." Misty smiled, her mood picking up instantly after hearing her best friend.

May had supported Misty through everything, held her when she'd been at her weakest, laughed with her when she'd been at her best and Misty appreciated her for it. May never flinched, never stared at her friend in disgust, she treated Misty exactly the same as she always did. When she saw someone staring at her best friend's face May would put on her coldest stare and glare until their attention was averted. She was always there when Misty needed her and she loved her for it.

"How was your first day?" She asked.

"Fine. Nothing exciting." Misty lied, her voice wavering slightly.

"Well that's not true is it?" May said.

"No it's not." She groaned, knowing that May would never drop to the subject.

"So, tell me what happened."

"This guy, he just wouldn't stop staring at me."

"You know why that is? Because you're a hot piece of ass." May complimented causing Misty to laugh out loud.

"I don't think that was the reason." She sighed.

"Well what else could it be?"

"It was the scar." Misty said quietly, worried her sisters were listening through the door.

"Mist." May sighed. "You're far too self-conscious about a tiny scar, you think if any one so much as looks at you they're judging the scar, I bet he was just trying to be friendly. If you let him he'd…"

"His mouth literally dropped when he saw it." Misty cut her off.

"Oh. What a dick head!" She shouted.

"May, it's fine." She said, trying to calm her friend down.

"No it's not fine, who the fuck does he think he is? He should get his head out of his own ass and realise people are different, some have freckles, some have scars, some have spots but they're each beautiful. Who is this guy? I'm coming down to that school to kick his ass."

"I don't know his name, he's just a nobody. Forget about it." Misty tried to sound nonchalant about it but knew she was failing, thinking back to today made a lump form in the back of her throat.

"I can't. No guy hurts my best friend and gets away with it." She said, always overprotective of her friend.

"He didn't exactly get away with it."

"How so?" She questioned with interest.

"I might have slapped him." She explained.

"You did? That's brilliant." May laughed loudly, Misty soon joining her. "I should have known my girl knows how to take care of herself."

"Exactly." Misty chose to leave out the part where she cried alone for four hours and trashed a bathroom. "I'm really tired, would you be offended if I went?"

"Massively, but because I love you I'll let you get away with it." She joked.

"Thanks, bye May."

"Bye Misty, I'll talk to you tomorrow." May said before hanging up.

Once it was over Misty dropped her phone, letting it fall next to her on the pillow. Without May and the laughter gone the lump returned, her eyes stinging slightly. She brought her palms up to her eyes, silently cursing the tears, but she let them fall anyway. She needed the release, her silent sobs continued while she got ready for bed, still going as she eventually fell into an unsettled sleep.

…

_Misty slowly opened her eyes, the harsh sunlight shining into her room, the silhouette of her boyfriend creating a shadow across her._

"_What time is it?" She moaned._

"_Just gone nine." Ash smiled, spinning around to face his girlfriend._

"_Too early." She whined, pulling the cover up and over her face._

"_Nope, no hiding. You've got to get up." He laughed, climbing back onto her bed._

_The pair fought over the position of the duvet and eventually Ash won, throwing it across the room and leaving Misty exposed in nothing but his t-shirt._

"_Since when are you a morning person?" Misty questioned, covering her eyes with her arm._

"_Since my wonderful girlfriend promised to make me breakfast." He grinned, pulling her arm back._

"_I said if I was up early enough I would do, it was not a promise."_

"_And look who is up early." He said, smiling even wider._

"_God, I hate you sometimes." She muttered, dragging herself out of the bed._

"_I love you too." He laughed, jumping off the bed and rushing from the room._

_Misty rolled her eyes slightly, staring longingly at her bed. Since he was gone she could just cocoon her in the duvet and never leave, but she knew he'd be back and find a way to get her out anyway. Groaning, she too left the room, following the sounds of Ash in the kitchen._

_She walked into the kitchen to see him setting up a variety of different pans on the cooker, an assortment of ingredients littering her counter top._

"_I don't think I agreed to anything quite so elaborate." Misty crossed her arms and leant against the doorframe._

"_I want a full English." He shrugged._

"_Not happening."_

"_What?" He asked, turning around to face her._

"_Too much effort, you're getting toast and loving it." She said, giving him a look._

"_Please." He begged, his eyes widening and his bottom lip puffing out slightly._

"_Ash, don't." She bit her lip, feeling herself cracking, but he didn't quit. "Fine, just stop with the look."_

"_Yes!" He cheered._

_Rolling her eyes Misty started to walk over to the cooker, noticing a note left on the table for her._

"_Hey Mist. Lily, Violet and I have gone shopping. Be back later hun." She read._

"_So it's just us?" He questioned._

"_Seems so." She shrugged, letting the note flutter back to the table before walking over to the ingredients._

_Ash walked over to the table to read the note himself before walking over to his girlfriend, placing his arms on either side of hips against the counter._

"_What are you doing?" She asked, turning around in his cage._

"_We're alone." He smirked._

"_And people say you're stupid." _

"_So why don't we make the most of it?" He winked._

"_Are you serious? You practically begged me to make you breakfast and now you're not interested?" She moaned, giving him an unimpressed look._

"_I'll still be hungry afterwards."_

_Misty opened her mouth to protest but found her lips covered by Ash's, his arms soon circling her waist. Sighing against his lips she deepened the kiss, deciding the breakfast could wait a while before tightly wrapping her arms around him in return._

…

Misty stared at the empty space next to her, she remembered complaining about the little room in her bed when she'd been with Ash, claiming it was too small for the two of them to sleep comfortably. But now it seemed huge, she seemed to get lost in it, the cold holding her now she was alone. She'd give anything to have Ash back, his chest pressed against her, his breath against her neck.

She heard the sounds of her alarm clock and groaned, another unsuccessful night's sleep, she reached up to gently rub the sleep from her eyes. She felt a small amount of satisfaction from the lack of moisture around them, her tears finally drying after yesterday.

Slowly she rolled from her bed, her bones creaking slightly from the movement, she grabbed the first clothes she could find, not caring what she looked like.

The Waterflower family ate their breakfast in silence, none of the sisters wanting to mention how broken Misty had been yesterday, how she'd let someone get under her skin and hurt her.

She made a vow to herself to attend her lessons today, she would not spend another day hiding, she would not be ashamed of herself. She assumed she'd given that guy enough of a telling off yesterday that he'd leave her be, she wouldn't have to have his cruel eyes staring at her again.

"Do you need a lift?" Lily asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, thanks." Misty smiled, although everyone in the room knew it was fake but nobody chose to comment on it.

Once in the car Misty fell back into silence, her heart beating in double time. The anticipation of returning after yesterday soon became overwhelming.

She shook her head slightly, she knew she could handle this, she'd watched as the car containing Ash burnt, she'd watched as the coffin containing him was lowered into the ground, she'd walked down the street after the accident when her injuries were still fresh. She'd been brave and she'd survived, she could handle a pathetic little boy at her school.

"See you later Lily." Misty said brightly, letting herself out the car.

She walked towards the school, head down to avoid attracting any more attention to herself but she knew she could do it, she could get through the day without falling apart. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for.

…

Gary leant against the locker next to Dawn's, watching the doors as she gathered her essentials from inside.

He had two thoughts on his mind this morning, making it almost impossible for him to listen to Dawn's innate chatter. His first thought was about his Grandfather, when he'd left this morning he was back in his study, barely acknowledging the presence of anyone in the house. It was a quick change in his personality, the fastest he'd seen, he usually went days before becoming that man obsessed with his work, obsessed with the past, obsessed with things he couldn't change. His second thought was the new girl and how he'd hurt her, with every passing minute his guilt grew. Would the girl show up? Had he hurt her so much she was still in hiding?

Then the doors were forced open and he felt relief as he recognised a flash red hair walking through the doors. He waited until she would look up, then he would give her an apologetic smile. It was a fact that when it came to girls his was better with his words but for now this was the best he could hope to achieve, to build a bridge between him and the new girl.

Dawn watched Gary in confusion, he couldn't want her, she was horrible, a mutant, she didn't have Dawn's undeniable beauty. And yet, his eyes never left her as she walked down the corridor, and she recognised that look, he wanted to go to her. But that wasn't happening, even if she has to remind them both herself.

"Misty! Hi." Dawn shouted, eagerly waving at the girl.

"Huh?" She asked, looking up.

Gary's gaze flicked between the two girls, so the mysterious red head had a name. Misty.

"Oh hi Dawn." Misty said, awkwardly smiling.

"How are you?" She asked, wrapping her arm possessively around Gary.

"Fine thanks. You?" She questioned back out of courtesy, she could feel his gaze on her and it made her uncomfortable.

"Wonderful. I'll catch you later." She smiled, turning towards Gary.

Misty nodded slightly before walking away, hoping to slip into her class early without being noticed, remain anonymous for as long as she could.

"How do you know her?" Gary asked, eyes still lingering on her back.

"Ran into her yesterday, she seems sweet enough." Dawn shrugged.

"The girl looks like she could use some friends." Gary commented, more to himself than anyone else.

"Uh huh." She nodded, why was he so concerned with this girl? "She doesn't look like the sort though, think she'd rather be left alone." She reminded him, hoping to end his interest once and for all.

"I guess so, but I'm willing to try." He said, throwing his bag on his shoulder and walking down the corridor.

Dawn growled and slammed her locker shut, she was really beginning to dislike this new girl.

…

Gary sighed as he headed for his final lesson, despite his best efforts Misty had managed to avoid him all day. Whenever he'd seen her in the corridor she slipped away before he had a chance to reach her. She was making it very difficult for him and he was close to giving up, letting the girl stay alone as Dawn suggested she preferred.

He walked into the classroom to see a mess of red hair leant over a desk, her eyes staring intently at the notebook in front of her. He froze for a second, looking at the empty space next to her.

He weighed up his options, sit with her and risk being slapped, or give her space and in time she'd come around. He settled for the second choice, she bound to want him eventually, it was inevitable.

Gary barely listened as the teacher droned on, instead he watched the red head, her pen constantly flying across her paper, but he could tell from the movement it wasn't writing, more of a drawing. He wished he could see what it was, what made her bite her lip slightly, what made her eyes sparkle, in pain or joy he couldn't decide. She was sat alone, everyone already had their friends in the class, nobody wanted to reach out to the new girl. He felt guilt inside him, he knew what it felt like to be alone, he'd never wish that one anyone.

"I expect this to be in by the end of the week." The teacher said, pulling Gary's focus back.

He was slightly confused, but as he heard the teacher listing off pairs he assumed that there was a group project due, he just hoped his partner had paid more attention than himself.

"Misty Waterflower…" At the sound of her name her head snapped up, turning to face the teacher. "And… Gary Oak."

Gary had to suppress the urge to smirk, this was how he'd get the girl, she'd be forced to be civil to him, listen to what he had to say. Once he'd apologised and fixed things with her she'd be just another one of his admirers, the school would once again be in balance. And that was all he really cared about after all, keeping up appearances.

"Um, sir?" Her small voice called out, the teacher stopping to turn to her.

"Yes?"

"Who is Gary Oak?" She questioned.

"That would be me." He answered, her head turning to the sound of her voice.

Her eyes widened when she realised who was talking to her, the colour drained from her cheeks. She couldn't handle being alone with him for extended periods of time, have him staring at her in revulsion. She knew she should have stayed at home today.

…

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